


Of Coffees, Motorcycles, and Sunsets

by thepurpaholicfan



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), F/M, Family, Fluff, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Romance, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Sharon Carter Defense Squad, Sharon Carter Deserves Better, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers deserves better, friendships, natasha romanov deserves better, sharon carter appreciation month
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23175103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepurpaholicfan/pseuds/thepurpaholicfan
Summary: My own little take on how the last ten to fifteen minutes of Avengers: Endgame should have ended, which involves... a coffee date and a motorcycle ride (or two), which definitely includes a ride into the sunset. ;)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov (minor), Sharon Carter/Steve Rogers
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18
Collections: All Marvel works that I like (or most of them)





	1. Make Me Pure

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! This is technically my second foray into the world of fanfic writing (I had written one a few years back on Word Press). But this would be the first fanfic I've posted here at AO3. And after months of reading endless amounts of SteveSharon fanfics on this beautiful site, I realized the scarcity of works involving them is criminal. And it broke my heart. So I decided to begin contributing to the cause. Hope you'll like the first chapter of this story, an idea that has been at the back of my head for the longest time, and I also want to apologize for any inaccuracies I might commit as I work on this continuously. More chapters will follow, but they will be posted at a slow pace, as my writing skills are still a bit rusty after being out of the writing game for three full years. Enjoy!
> 
> Chapter One's title is taken from the song "Make Me Pure" by Robbie Williams.

When Steve Rogers first woke up from the ice after being asleep for seven decades, he was immediately thrown into the battlefield without any sort of preamble about the century he had entered into. The world was in danger (yet again), and almost all the people surrounding him found no time to work on a PowerPoint presentation about the multitude of historical events and pop culture references he missed over the years and show it to him.

Like the true noble-hearted soldier that he is, he marches on and lives up to the Captain America name, even though he barely registers the fact that all the weapons he knew from his time had gotten a major upgrade, was receiving reports from authorities he knew for only about less than two weeks and was thrown into the mix with fellow enhanced superheroes (or the “Avengers” as the black man named Nick Fury, who had an affinity for black clothing and an eye patch on his left eye, prefers to call them) he had just met, with the exception of two agents (a former Russian assassin and a skilled archer), who were currently working for the very organization his former superior, his genius friend, and the woman he love... had a crush on worked to build from the ground up.

The enhanced superheroes, which included a scientist who can turn into a giant green monster when provoked, a god of thunder, and a self-proclaimed “billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist” who created a massive body of armor while in captivity and happened to be the son of his genius friend, didn’t get along at first. It was bound to happen, especially since these people basically had differing ideas and beliefs on how the world should be saved.

Thankfully, however, they managed to set their petty arguments aside and work things out for the greater good and ended up saving the world. Alas, their camaraderie was short-lived, and they had to go their separate ways, but not without a celebratory shawarma feast and a vow that the Avengers would come together if in the event that the world would be in peril once again.

Almost all of them eventually found their new normal, including Steve, who eventually decided to join the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (SHIELD for short), taking part in missions with Natasha Romanov, the redheaded Russian assassin who he worked with during the Battle of New York. And that had been his life for the past two years until it all went to shit. SHIELD had been compromised by HYDRA, the very same organization Steve thought he had taken down many decades ago that had secretly manifested itself simultaneously with the former’s inception.

Steve takes down HYDRA once more, but at the expense of the organization that Colonel Chester Phillips, Howard Stark, and Peggy Carter built with the goal of gradually eradicating the evils of the world and all of its employees, some of whom lost their lives during the battle while others ended up being unemployed and misplaced, who have worked and rendered their services for the organization for the longest time. Additionally, all of SHIELD’s database has been leaked around the internet, and that Steve’s best friend and war comrade Bucky Barnes, who was thought to be dead after he fell from a train in the Alps, was revealed to be alive all this time. And was held captive by HYDRA and turned into the infamous Winter Soldier.

Bucky had gone into hiding after he saved Steve from drowning in the Potomac River, and Steve sets his sights on finding him and taking him home by hook or by crook. And that was how Steve spent another chapter of his life, along with reforming with the Avengers to take down HYDRA cells all over the world. In the years that follow, the Avengers grew in numbers as Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, James Rhodes, and an android named Vision joined the team.

Another international incident in Lagos, after Johannesburg and Sokovia, however, has set off a domino effect that eventually led to the Avengers’ demise after all team members couldn’t come to a unanimous agreement about the Sokovia Accords, with the disagreement leading to an actual physical fight in an airport in Germany, and Steve being hell-bent on protecting Bucky after he was wrongfully framed for a bombing in a convention in Vienna.

The Avengers’ demise had also further crumbled Steve’s already-fractured working relationship with Tony Stark after the latter found out that Steve concealed the truth about the deaths of Tony’s parents, who were killed by Bucky while he was still the Winter Soldier.

Declared a war criminal by all governments around the world, Steve spends the next two years on the run with Sam, Natasha, and Wanda, until a behemoth purple alien named Thanos emerges to threaten all of mankind by eliminating half of the universe’s population in order to save it. The universe’s superheroes do their best to come together and fight him and his army off but to no avail. Thanos succeeds in his quest by turning the aforementioned half into dust, rendering them nonexistent from the face of the earth with the use of the Infinity Stones, which the remaining superheroes try to retrieve from the purple giant three weeks later but, once again, to no avail. Thor ended up decapitating Thanos, to no one’s delight, including himself.

It took five long years for them to come up with a plan to bring the dusted back into existence. A time machine, six Infinity Stones retrieved from different points in time, a life lost, and a new gauntlet was all it took to achieve that goal. But not without one last battle where Steve leads a massive army, so big that it would make Colonel Phillips rise from the grave, grovel and take back what he said about him not being enough while on his knees.

The world is saved and Thanos and his army, who traveled from 2014 after they were able to intercept Nebula and replace her with her 2014 counterpart, are defeated. But Tony ends up being dead after he snaps them out of existence. The people mourn his death. The world remains in disarray, more so than it ever was five years ago, with world governments being forced to come up with solutions for those who have returned.

One would think that years of letting the world put endless amounts of burden over his broad shoulders would be enough to send Steve Rogers into a total mental breakdown. But he has not, or so people were led to believe.

Captain America remains steadfast and headstrong as ever in front of the adoring (and scornful) public. However, only in the confines of his humble Brooklyn abode does he allow the waterworks to overflow. He did this during the first few years of his life in the New Millenium, mourning for the life that he once had and lost all at once; a few times when he was living in D.C. working for SHIELD, putting on sad, 40s jazz music while lying on his living room couch wallowing in despair; the five lonely and devastating years where he continued on with his life without his two best friends by his side; and, more recently, grieving for Tony and Natasha after they selflessly sacrificed themselves for the cause.

Bucky and Sam’s presence should have put a stop to his depression right then and there, he thought to himself. But the lingering feeling is still there. Somehow he feels empty. Numb even, oblivious to the things around him. He knows he needs to open up to somebody at some point. He’ll figure it out later, he said to himself. Because at this moment, he is about to step his foot on the modified time machine built by Bruce Banner and Peter Parker, the briefcase holding the Infinity Stones being carried by his left hand, and Mjolnir, which Thor was able to bring back with him during their time travel adventures, by his right. He had volunteered to return all the stones and Thor’s hammer in the past, assuring Bruce that he had taken into mind his specific instructions of returning the stones at the exact same spots where they were taken off.

He bid a temporary farewell to both Bucky and Sam, who insisted on the three of them painting the town red and carouse at the newest hangout spots they missed out on once Steve succeeded in his mission. “We’re gonna go to all the bars in New York, get wasted and have a real good time till the break of dawn!” Sam declared.

Regular alcohol won’t do its magic of affecting his mental faculties thanks to the super-soldier serum, but the idea of having a good time with his buddies seemed ideal. “Sounds like a great way to celebrate when I get back.”

“Damn right it is,” Bucky said. It had been an incredibly difficult time for him, having suffered the most out of all of them. Almost never-ending years of torture at the hands of HYDRA left him jaded, uneasy, and dishelved. He was never really the same Bucky Steve grew up with and loved like a brother. But he seems to have gotten past all of his demons and appears to look forward to starting his life anew with Steve and Sam by his side. “Don’t do anything stupid while you’re out there, punk.”

That made Steve smile, a genuine and authentic one at that. Tony’s and Natasha’s deaths hit him harder than he had imagined, Thor has set off into outer space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Clint Barton has fully retired to farm life with his wife and kids. Bruce doesn’t seem to know what he wants to do with his life yet but gave the impression that whatever he chooses to do next will not involve working with the Avengers. 

He was, in retrospect, now the lone man on the ship that began to sail since they defeated Loki and temporarily restored the peace on earth. He was still unsure about what he wanted to do after returning the stones, but Bucky’s optimism had given him a glimmer of hope that he may be able to live a complete and utterly normal life in the modern times after all.

“How can I? You’ve both taken the stupid along with you,” Steve said, apparently not being able to resist addressing Sam with that statement. Seeing both of them get along so well is also one of the reasons for his anticipation of starting anew.

They both smile at that, and the three of them, including Bruce, get into a group hug. Steve reassures them once more of his immediate return, steps foot onto the center of the time machine's platform, activates the GPS band on his wrist, and vanishes into thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two preview: Steve encounters two ghosts from his past.


	2. You Get What You Give

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve encounters two ghosts from his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I changed the preview from the last chapter to this one. Chapter Two turned out to be incredibly lengthy and it didn't leave room for the part of the story that I originally intended to be the central focus of in this particular chapter. The previous preview of Chapter Two will now be the focus of Chapter Three, which I can assure you will be full of fluff and positivity from there until the very end.
> 
> For now, please enjoy this chapter! Comments and suggestions are welcomed with open arms!
> 
> Chapter Two's title is taken from the song "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals.

One by one, the Infinity Stones from the past are restored to their rightful places: the Mind Stone back in Loki’s scepter, the Time Stone to the Ancient One, and the Reality Stone back in Jane Foster’s body - apparently, Rocket wasn’t kidding when he told the group how he literally got it out of her, and Steve was feeling practically uneasy about putting it back in, in its Aether form no less. He got the job done in the end, and he was thankful that returning the Aether as well as giving back Mjolnir, didn’t result in deathmatches.

2013 Thor was rather astonished and impressed that Steve was worthy of lifting the hammer, but it did nothing good to his bruised and sensitive ego. He was now considering keeping the hammer out of arm’s reach from 2013 Steve from now on.

The Space Stone took a lot of work given the limited amount of time he had. He learned from Tony that he retrieved it from an underground lab in the military base, and it took intricate hacking skills on his part to gain access to the facility and extract the stone that was inside the Tesseract. Unfortunately for Steve, he had neither the skills nor the wits that Tony had. He didn’t have much time left. He had to find another way.

Which was how he ended up in Peggy Carter’s office, hoping she’d assist him in his dilemma. He’ll have to convince her to put her gun down first, though.

“Peggy, please drop that gun!” he pleads with her.

“Who the hell are you?” she responded, completely undeterred, her posh British accent beguiling and charming as he remembered.

“Peggy, it’s me! Steve! Steve Rogers!” If there’s one thing that Steve knew about Peggy all too well was that she would never settle with bullshit when she senses it. She was quick-witted, feisty, intelligent, the kind of woman who wouldn’t hesitate to punch sexist men in a generally sexist workforce and knew her value where it counts. “I- I can explain. It’s crazy, I know, but please put your gun down and I’ll tell you everything!” he pleads once more.

“Prove it,” she tells him as she continues to point her gun at him, with the same look of sheer determination and fire in her eyes that remain steady on the prize. “Prove to me that you really are who you say you are, and if not, then I’ll shoot you.”

At that moment, he knew that honesty was his only option in getting himself out of this situation, and he had to go to hell and back in convincing her that he really was Steve Rogers. A.k.a. Captain America - boy scout, relentless, and strong-willed who hates bullies and Nazis with a burning passion. He’d have to spill out everything he knew about them - how they met and their work history - but he knew that it would be insufficient and futile. So he went for a more personal approach.

“You shot me when we were testing out the shield because you saw me kissing some woman behind a bunch of shelves,” he managed to spill out. He paused for a second to look at her and see if her expression had changed. Only slightly. So he continued. “Although I do need to clarify that _she _was the one who kissed me and not the other way around. But then I tried to shove it off like it was nothing by implying that you and Howard were ‘fonduing’, which I thought it meant you two were fooling around or something and I really, truly am sorry for that.”__

____

____

He carried on rambling about anything and everything he knew about her and what he remembered about their time together. From the time she accompanied him to the underground lab to receive Erksine’s super soldier serum, when she and Howard assisted him in infiltrating the base Bucky and his unit were being held captive and saving the imprisoned soldiers, when she comforted him as he mourned for Bucky, and when she stayed on the line and talked to him as he was about to crash the Valkyrie into the ice. All the inside jokes and numerous conversations they had.

Eventually, the flicker of recognition and realization became apparent in her face. Slowly, slowly, she lowered her gun, set it aside her desk and then pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and quietly sobbed.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she murmured. He surrounded her with his massive arms and hugged her with equal ferocity. He did miss her, and he was glad to see her again. “How is this possible? And what the hell are you doing here?” she added as she let go of him and settled down, wiping the little prick of tears that came out.

“It’s kind of a long story,” he replied. Then out of nowhere, he remembered the real purpose why he was there, which hit him in full force. But just as how it struck him in an instant, he was as swift in shoving it down and brought his focus back to the task at hand. “Right now I need your help with something if you’re up for it. We can talk along the way.”

It surprised him how quickly she trusted him as she escorted him to the lab where he needed to return the Tesseract. On the way there, he began telling her the short version of the long and winding tale of his life story: frozen deep underwater for seven decades, aliens attacking earth, robots having minds of their own, the gradual influx of enhanced superheroes, anthropomorphic plants and animals, how earth survived five, excruciating years where half of the universe’s population were nonexistent… and how they got them back.

To his surprise and bewilderment, Peggy’s face never wavered and took everything that came out of his mouth, no matter how ludicrous it all sounded, with stride. “I have seen you undergo a bodily upgrade in a matter of minutes, have encountered a German Nazi with a literal red skull, and work with the likes of Howard Stark and Hank Pym, both of whom have made inventions that would either change the world for the better or for worse,” she told him with a smirk so devious that was enough to make any person’s skin crawl. “I’m not surprised that everything you said would ultimately happen in the near future.”

“Well, I’m just glad you didn’t think I was crazy while I was telling you all of this. I even had this fear at the back of my mind that you’d make me put on a straight jacket at gunpoint then take me to a shrink if I said anything even more outrageous,” he said without missing a beat.

She laughed at that. He knew she always had a dark and dry sense of humor. “Oh no, darling. We’d definitely be doing it together, as I’ve seen just about everything that there is to see in this silly little world that we live in as well.”

He gave a mild chuckle when she said it. They reached the lab and she helped him return the Tesseract into its canister. They then made their way back to her office, where he told her about his life in the 21st century, how it took a long time for him to adjust into the modern world, how he remarked that the food was infinitely better, his affinity for hot showers, and how helpful the internet is. He talked about all his friends, and she was surprised when he mentioned that Bucky turned out to be alive. And while she was unsettled about the life Bucky was forced to live in, she was glad that he was able to break free and reacclimated himself into society. And took comfort in the fact that at least Steve won’t be alone once he returns to the future.

Upon entering her office, he spotted the numerous frames containing pictures of her family on the far side corner. He was too distracted and panicked the first time he stepped foot in the room as he was evading security who were on the hunt for him and Tony, and had only seen the old and tattered photo of his pre-serum self on her desk.

She must have caught him staring at the set of photo frames because she opened her mouth to speak. “I keep that photo of you nearby to motivate me and remind me of the person who defied all odds and proved naysayers wrong.” She must have read his mind, deduced that he was wondering why his photo was at the very desk where she’d read mission reports and updates on the daily. “Stubborn as a mule, patriotic, kind-hearted, steadfast, and single-minded in his pursuit to make his country and the rest of the world a better place to live in.”

She let out an audible sigh and continued. “You have inspired me in more ways than any person would have imagined. And without sounding conceited and arrogant I am certain that I have done the same to you.” He heard her clear her throat. “Losing you was hard. I spent the better part of the year crying and basking in the sorrow of having lost you and what might have been- what could have been between the two of us.”

Seeing her in this state reminded him of the time she commiserated with him when he lost Bucky. He realized being on the other side of that situation was just as heartbreaking. Only this time she was weeping over a man who was standing right in front of her.

“I’m sorry, Peggy,” was all he could say. He had caused this woman so much pain and suffering because of his sacrifice, and the thought of her not being able to get over him tormented him mentally to no end. Finding out when he woke up that she found love, married and had children down the line, while it had stung immensely to him initially, was a relief.

“No, no, no, don’t be sorry,” she assures him, stepping closer towards him to put a hand on his chest. “I already did my fair share of grieving for a couple of years. But eventually, I soldiered on, like any soldier does whenever he loses a comrade in battle. I have moved on and lived a life.” She stared at the photo frames neatly arranged in the little corner of her office. “And made memories with these people that I love with all my heart and I will continue to make more memories with them in the years to come.”

He let out a bright smile, and she recognized the same puppy dog smile he gave to her moments before she took a gun and fired at the circular, grey shield he had at hand. Looking back, she realized she had gone too far in unleashing her anger out on him for implying that she had sex with Howard (and it was totally not because she was jealous of that woman who got to snog Steve, _thank you very much _). Thankfully, he seems to not really treat it as a big deal.__

__“I really am happy for you, Peg.” He meant what he said and she could feel it._ _

__She suddenly felt a big lump on her throat. “Thank you, Steve. I’m really happy for you, too. I’m glad everything worked out for you in the future.”_ _

__Part of him wishes that he could stay a little while longer. But there was a mission that still needed to be done. “I’d like to stay and spend more time with you, but I have to go. Duty calls and I haven’t got much time left.”_ _

__She was sad at the fact that their time together had to come to an abrupt end, but nodded in understanding. “Go on ahead. I won’t stop you. Good luck with the rest of your mission.”_ _

__“Thank you.” Out on the other side of the office, he noticed a rustic and worn out record player placed in the center of a long table. It gave him an idea. He was here. She was here, too. Might as well take the opportunity to fulfill that unfulfilled promise. “But before I leave, I have one final favor to ask of you.”_ _

__“And what would that be?” she asked._ _

__Grinning, he walked across to the other side close to the record player, turned around and leaned his back against the edge of the long table. Then held out his hand. “Would you like to dance with me?”_ _

__She was smiling from ear to ear. She followed him, slid the door that divided her whole office shut, took a vinyl, placed it in the record player and turned it on. She then moved closer to him, resting her chin on a random spot in his chest. He wrapped one arm around her, took one hand and linked their fingers together. Then they began swaying and moving in the room, with Harry James and Kitty Kallen crooning “It’s Been A Long, Long Time” in the background._ _

__After what felt like a minute, he slowly stepped back, leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. He could feel her blushing. “Thank you again, Steve. I’m really going to miss you.”_ _

__He really didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay with her. And that nagging feeling only grew stronger the more he spent time with her at this point in time. But then he realized that in this time, she is married to a man who wasn’t him and had children._ _

__He had no claim over her in this particular timeline. Then a random thought loomed over his head. What if he traveled to another alternative timeline where she could be his and he could be hers? Where they’d raise their own children together and live a life together? The idea of it suddenly gave him a hope that he could validly cling on to. Bruce did say that changing the past doesn’t necessarily change the future and that there are multiple universes out there. He could probably broach the topic to him when he gets back._ _

__But for now, he needed to finish the task at hand. Mission now, self desires later. “I’m gonna miss you, too, Peg. Thank you.”_ _

__Beaming, she gives him a little wave as he presses the button on his GPS wristband and then he was gone._ _

__***_ _

__Four stones down, two more to go. Returning the Power Stone in Morag went smoothly. Bringing back the Soul Stone to Vormir, the same place where Natasha lost her life, however, was easier said than done. Especially when he finds out that an old nemesis he once defeated turned out to be alive and well._ _

__“Steven Grant Rogers. Captain America. Born on the Fourth of July.” Johann Schmidt’s familiar eerie voice startles Steve and causes him to jerk._ _

__Clint had mentioned to them about a “man with a creepy red skull” who claimed to be the guardian of the said stone. He certainly didn’t say anything about the fact that the same creepy man with a red skull was the same man Steve had gotten into several fights with once upon a time, live and in the flesh. “How?”_ _

__“Contrary to what many heathens have believed, I was brought to this place after you threw me into that vortex opened by the Tesseract and was sucked into it.” He hovered closer to Steve, who was trembling as he slowly stepped back and nearly fell down the uneven ground. “I believe you have something that belongs to me. Would you care to give it back to me?”_ _

__Steve was still in disbelief, shell-shocked even. After some time, he found his bearings and Captain America mode completely took over. “Why should I give it to you? What’s the catch if I do?” It had to be a trick. It had to be, he thought to himself. There was no way Schmidt would ask him to do something without asking for anything from him in return._ _

__“Simple. Throw the stone over the cliff. Acquiring the stone requires sacrificing a life. Returning it requires nothing,” he assured him._ _

__Easier said than done, he thought. Still, he obeyed and then proceeded to head on over to the cliff. He had dreaded this moment, seeing Natasha’s lifeless body down in the abyss. But when he reached the edge of the cliff and took a peep, he found nothing. Which didn’t make any sense? She died here. Her body should’ve been there. Which made it all the more agonizing than it already is. Natasha, sweet and beautiful Natasha, didn’t deserve this. She gave her life to bring back the lives lost. It wasn’t fair. She never got a proper funeral, and Steve was determined to give her what she deserved because she earned it._ _

__His mother had raised him to be the devout Catholic schoolboy he still is now. Remaining as one while living in modern times proved to be difficult, as most of the people were either non-believers or came from other religions. Only a few stones available enough to make a cross and a little prayer over her soul would have to suffice._ _

__Upon throwing the stone over the cliff, however, everything around him swiftly turned white. And when everything around him turned crystal clear again, he was left with the most pleasant surprise he’s ever had in his life._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Three preview: Steve finally comes to his senses thanks to a friend who saw right through him. Plus, he is about to score a coffee date with a certain blonde beauty with a little help from his friends.


	3. I’d Do It All Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is met with an absolutely pleasant surprise. Two of his friends begin plotting for their quest to ensure that he gets a girl (and gets laid). Steve really, really, _really _hates double dates.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while. This chapter was a struggle to write. I feel like it became sloppy towards the end but I did the best I could. Chapter Four will probably be published either on Friday or Saturday, depending on the creative energy I'll have left by then. For now, feel free to enjoy this chapter, which is full of positivity and fun as promised!
> 
> Chapter Three's title is taken from the lyrics of the song "All Again" by Ella Henderson.

Steve has had a brush with death or two (or even more than that) for as long as he could remember. Before the super-soldier serum changed his life, he was a sickly kid with a long list of ailments that were so severe that it should’ve already sent him six feet underground. A man of short stature with an incredibly weak health condition had been enough for doctors to declare that he only had a number of months to live and for the army to reject his application multiple times, despite the numerous changes of identities.

Sarah Rogers, bless her heart, was a fighter, refused to give up on her son the moment he was born (like most mothers would) and defied all odds in making sure he stayed alive at all costs. Thanks to her, young Steve managed to live through the years, long enough for him to reach the point where he is selected for Dr. Abraham Erksine’s super soldier project that turned his life around for the better. Death would eventually claim her after she was hit with tuberculosis and succumbed to the disease.

Death would once again haunt him in the years that followed, but rather than it taking him, it would take those around him instead. And he has definitely seen (and heard of) a number of deaths during his lifetime: his parents’ death, soldiers dying at war, Bucky falling off a train, Peggy dying of old age, half of the universe’ population (including a couple of his friends) turning into dust, Natasha throwing herself off a cliff for a stone, Tony fatally wounded by a powerful gauntlet among others. Some were permanent, while some were resurrected by what many would describe as unbelievable and bewildering miracles.

Outrageous as it may seem to a normal person who's never been through a lot like Steve has, it’s happened. Bucky survived his fall and resurfaced seventy years later as a brainwashed assassin with a metallic arm. Those who vanished suddenly blipped back into reality. And now, Natasha Romanov has risen from the dead, beautiful and sweet as ever, standing right in front of him. And it was all because he threw that damn stone, the literal bane of one’s existence, below that cliff.

“Hey, handsome fella.” Like Steve, Natasha has been through hell and back, from being taken away from her parents at a young age, trained to become a cold-blooded Soviet assassin by the infamous Red Room, defecting to the life of espionage as a SHIELD agent, and turning into a full-fledged Avenger, saving the world from aliens plotting world domination. Her unexpected resurrection has proven that nothing, not even death, can stop her from letting her do what she does best. “Still looking incredibly attractive for a fossil,” she says without missing a beat.

“You just can’t bring yourself to drop these fossil jokes after all these years, can you?” Steve clapped back with a warm smile and a surprising amount of glee. Normally, he would be annoyed at her old man jokes to a greater degree, constantly throwing them at him like daggers at every given opportunity. Right now, however, all he feels is pure and unadulterated joy. She’s here, she’s alive, and they’ll have more chances to bond and make memories together in the years to come.

“What can I say, they never get old. Just like you.” He’d never been happier to learn that he will never be able to hear the end of these jokes anytime soon.

He didn’t know where the few tears started to pour down from his eyes came from and why they came out suddenly. But he didn’t care. He made a beeline towards her, wrapped both of his arms around her, tight enough it would crush her, lifting her off her feet. “You’re alive, you’re alive, you’re alive! I’m so happy to see you!”

She’s struggling to breathe, swaying her legs a little because she couldn’t move properly. But she didn’t mind, slowly putting both her hands behind his back and giving him gentle pats. “I’m really happy to see you, too,” she breathed out. “You can put me down now, big guy.” Deadly as she may be, her small frame can only take so much physical damage.

Steve obeyed, settling her down and helping her stand upright. “I can’t believe you’re alive!” He can’t stop shaking his head. “This is impossible!”

“And I can’t believe you’re actually here! I mean what the hell actually are you doing here? Where’s Clint? He was supposed to be here with me. What happened? I-”

“Well I came to return the Soul Stone, but I never really expected that bringing it back here would make you alive again. What do you remember about what happened? While you and Clint were here?”

“Uhm. Let’s see… Clint and I were personally expecting that we’d get the stone in like a chest or secret lair or something. Then this weird alien who claims to be the keeper of this stone told us that one of us had to die so we can get it. He and I kind of got into a disagreement on who should jump off the cliff and…”

Natasha paused. He saw her face show a look of utter confusion, then skepticism, followed by a look resembling that of a deer staring at headlights. Then she slowly turned her face to look at him. And then gave him a look, with a sudden fire in her eyes that spelled trouble. “Steve, please tell me you got everyone back. I swear I’m gonna kill you if me jumping off that cliff turned out to be a waste and…”

He feared so much for his life right then and there that he had to quickly put both his hands up and began to explain. “Calm down, calm down, chill! Just chill! We used the stone! We got all of them and we used! Uh- Tony, Tony and Rocket made a gauntlet and put all the stones in it. Then Bruce put on the glove and then…”

“And?” she continued to press. Her patience was wearing thin. “What happened next?”

And then he grinned. “They’re back. They’re alive again. Bucky’s back! So is Sam, and Wanda, and T’Challa, that talking tree that kept saying ‘I am Groot’… everybody’s back. Everyone’s back, Nat!”

Her face gradually flashed a bright, goofy smile and was blooming. “Oh thank God that’s a relief!” This time she lunged at him, wrapped both her arms around his neck, settling her chin on his shoulder. “We did it, Steve! We did it!”

“We did.” He rubbed her back then closed his eyes for a brief moment, relishing on the happiness and satisfaction of having her back. “We really did.”

She jumped back down, letting him go. “And that means the Spider Kid is back too. Tony must have been relieved. And intolerable. Pepper must’ve had a headache. I gave my life for the cause he better not take all the credit for getting the job done.”

Steve froze, his slightly goofy smile quickly shifting into a frown. “Uhm. Nat. There’s something you need to know. About Tony.”

Natasha felt the tone of this conversation take a different turn. She noticed his face looked forlorn. That didn’t look good. So she braced herself for what he was about to tell her next.

“He uh. Uhm. Nat, Tony’s dead.”

She didn’t see that coming. He then told her the short version of the story about what had happened after they got all the stones. Her heart suddenly started clenching, the weight of the consequences of their actions hit her at full force. Then she thought about Pepper. She thought about Morgan, too. Sweet, innocent, little Morgan Stark was going to grow up fatherless.

All of a sudden, her legs began to quiver. He caught her before she could fully fall to the ground. They moved towards a couple of large rocks nearby and settled themselves on a rock where they could both sit. He allowed her to take a brief moment to grieve for their fallen friend, her head resting on his shoulder, him rubbing her back in small circles.

“We should go. Now. Bucky and Sam were looking forward to having a good time after I got back. With you back, too, I think it’s going to be more of a double celebration now. You up for it?” he said in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

She chuckled, and she heard him let out a sigh of relief. “I think it’s something I can fit in my schedule.”

They both stood up and settled themselves into position. He showed his GPS watch and gestured at her to show hers, which she did. “You ready to do this?”

She gave him a smile so wide her cheeks were probably hurting. But she could care less. She was going home and was leaving this place forever. “It would be my absolute pleasure.”

***

Sam, Bucky, and Bruce were starting to worry. Steve was supposed to be back five seconds flat. They waited for an extra five seconds, then another five, and another. After letting another set of five seconds pass by, Sam had had enough waiting. “Why is he not back? What the hell is going on?”

“Calm down, I- I’m doing my best geeze!” Bruce tried to assure him. Judging from his response, it seemed like his method didn’t work. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s happening! And just for the record, I am just as confused and worried as you are, if not more because Steve’s fate is in my hands so just chill and let me work in peace!” he rambled and then went back to the time machine’s console to do some tinkering.

“Try again! Get him back! We can’t lose him!” Sam demanded, Bucky hovering behind him and allowing him to do all the talking. They had just gotten their lives back in order, albeit slightly. But he couldn’t imagine having to start their lives all over again without Steve if he didn’t come back. It was bad enough that they lost Tony and Natasha. Steve gone would be an even bigger blow to the gut. Not a good thought. He tried to shut it down and held on to the little hope he had left. He was certain that Bucky was feeling the same way.

“Okay, let’s see if we can do this again,” Bruce told them. All three braced for what’s about to happen. They, mostly Bruce, were hoping that on the final push of the button, Steve and his big muscular body would finally make an appearance. “Three, two, one…” Bruce pressed the button. And much to their surprise and relief, the machine began to whirl, reverberate, and unleashed a flash of light strong enough to make anybody blind. When they uncovered their eyes, they saw Steve’s distinctive form. But seeing another person, who was rather more petite compared to Steve while standing next to him, in the platform gave them another level of incredulity.

Once the two people retracted their suits, however, the level of their astonishments skyrocketed to the roof - the other person they saw was Natasha. And by some wonder of wonders, she was alive, breathing, and standing right before their very eyes.

Everything was blurry after that. There were hugs all around and tears were shed. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Black Widow.” That was Sam. It was a very happy time. Sam was even more excited about getting wasted.

“Thank you. It feels good to be back.” Natasha couldn’t stop smiling. She hasn’t let go of the grin she first flashed it back in Vormir, and her cheeks were already bordering on pain. But she didn’t care. “So. Steve told me you were going to hit the town and party.”

“Yup. Three guys hitting all the pubs in New York City and having a fabulous time. But we’ve kept the doors open for joiners. You interested?”

She has never been happier to be alive and back on earth. The thought of celebrating it with her favorite bottle of Kvas was inviting and irresistible. “I thought you’d never ask. I even know a bar that offers great Irish beer and a variety of Russian drinks. Been up and running for three straight years. Let’s try that out.”

“She’s really obsessed with the bar’s Shikhan,” Steve added dryly. “The Mist is the name of the bar, by the way. Really cool place. Makes you feel like you’re on a journey through the decades.”

“Ah. One bar that was put up while we were both asleep. Sounds like the kind of bar that’s right up the alley of two men out of time, too.” Sam joked while nudging Bucky’s shoulder. He motioned with his arm and pointed towards the narrow pathway in the forest. “Lead the way, you two.”

As Steve and Nat moved forward, she realized that she was right in front of Bucky, who was now staring right back at her. She was surprised at the overwhelming wave of emotions she felt all of a sudden. Happiness, for some odd reason, was prevailing. 

Before she could open her mouth to speak, however, Bucky beat her to it. “Natalia.”

The mere mention of her name, her _real given name _, caught her off guard. But it somehow made her even happier than she already was. She also took it as a welcome invitation to do the same thing she hasn’t been able to do since God knows when. “James.”__

__The smile Bucky flashed was warm, welcoming, and endearing. Once upon a time, fate brought them together in the Soviet Union, where Bucky spent a brief time helping out in training young women to become an elite group of merciless, killing machines. There, he met young Natasha. They trained together, fell in love, and began a clandestine affair. Falling in love in the Red Room was forbidden, and they were quickly forced apart just as they quickly got romantically involved once their respective superiors learned about their romance. Natasha was given more intense training as a form of punishment while Bucky was taken away. Any act of punishment inflicted on him was unbeknownst to many, but the next thing she knew, she was running for her life, him right at her tails in his menacing, Winter Soldier form and hellbent on ending her life. The struggle ended with a Soviet slug bullet grazing her lower hip with a scar so big that it made her feel ashamed about wearing bikinis._ _

__That was years ago. They were both different people back then. They certainly were completely different people right here in the present. Only this time, they no longer have superiors watching their every move, have full authority, autonomy and control over how they want to live their lives and how they can now act in accordance with their own beliefs and level of morality._ _

__Lingering feelings for one another were still there. For her part, Natasha was hoping they could reignite what was once put out. “It’s good to see you.”_ _

__Bucky’s smile never wavered, and she took his facial features as an indication that he was on the same page as her. “It’s good to see you, too.” Then he stepped forward and gave her an enormous hug, which caught her in surprise. But it was a good kind of surprise, and once she got a hold of her mental bearings, she hugged him back with as much vigor and Herculean effort._ _

__They hugged for a while. Until both of them heard a loud and forced cough that jerked them apart and remembered then and there that they had an audience. Steve, Sam, and Bruce gave them teasing looks. Steve was the one who was the most inordinately pleased. He and Nat had gotten closer over the past five years, reaching a point where she was comfortable enough to tell him the truth, which unsettled him at first but eventually came around it._ _

__“So I guess we can call this a triple celebration then?” Steve teased. Sam and Bruce chuckled in agreement._ _

__“Ha ha. Very funny, punk,” Bucky clapped back playfully._ _

__“Just you wait, Steve,” Natasha told him. “I’ll have you know that once we’re together, James and I can be a force to be reckoned with,” she added while slowly flashing a frightening smirk._ _

__Steve also saw a glint in her eyes that he knew all too well. On the corner of his right eye, he saw Bucky giving her an adoring look that he couldn’t put an answer to. Natasha turned to face Bucky and gave him an equally adoring look in return. They were lost in each other, speaking to each other in a way no ordinary person would be able to decipher._ _

__Steve, however, thought of something else entirely. And he wasn’t sure if, whatever it was that they were talking about, he was going to be ready for it._ _

__“Anywho!” Natasha suddenly yelped, jerking Steve back to his senses. “Let’s get this show on the road!”_ _

__It took no less than thirty minutes for them to reach The Mist. Bruce had to stay behind to begin the dismantling of the time machine with Peter Parker’s assistance. It was for the best - the two-door main entrance was small for his stature. It was so small that it would be impossible for Bruce to go through, no matter how much he tried. So it was just Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Natasha going at it. They were seated on the farthest table in the corner, drowning on endless bottles and glasses of gin and tonics, tequilas, vodkas and whatever drinks they had available that they could order over the counter._ _

__By the time they’ve had their fill sometime before dinner time, Sam had completely conked, his head settled on the stone wall of the bar, and snoring audibly but at least not loud enough to reach the ears of people sitting in other tables. Steve and Bucky were working on consuming what was left of the drinks (it really helped that Erksine’s formula resulted in rendering a super-soldier an inability to get drunk) while Natasha continued to ramble about her and Bucky’s story._ _

__There was silence and it stretched out for a while. Then, Bucky began to talk._ _

__“So, Steve. When are you going to get laid?”_ _

__Steve choked on his drink. Even though he had known for a long time that Bucky was never that one person who beats around the bush, his remark still caught him off guard. “Wai- wai- wait what do you mean?”_ _

__“Go on dates? Have a girlfriend? Have sex? Steve, you’re not getting any younger you should go out and live a little!”_ _

__Natasha chuckled. “Please I’ve been trying to set him up with any woman who had guts to get in his pants but brushes off just about anything that I do because he’s ‘busy,’” she added while air quoting the word _busy _.___ _

____It was both half a truth and half a lie. While he was working for SHIELD, the number of missions he had with STRIKE was staggering and he felt it would be unfair for any woman he got involved with to make them worry about his well being. Not that they would know about who they were actually dating and what he actually does for a living, which was also another issue in itself. Trust was rare in most relationships during modern times. And as much as he wanted to be completely honest to any partner he wishes to commit to, there’s the lingering possibility that a potentially jilted and scornful ex-lover would make use of what they know about him and sell him out to the world at large._ _ _ _

____Also, he still held a little torch for Peggy, Steve’s greatest What Might Have Been as Natasha refers to her. But he never told anybody that. And he definitely wasn’t going to say it in front of the two Russian assassins who were sitting nearby._ _ _ _

____“Hey what about the SHIELD agent who lived across the hall from you and was spying on you? She’s cute and she seems very nice! You should go on a date with her!” Natasha babbled, and Bucky was surprised at how she said all of those so quickly._ _ _ _

_____The SHIELD agent who was spying on him from across the hall. ____ _ _ _

______He remembered her. Oh he _definitely _remembered her very, very well. He still remembers the first time he met her. Rather vividly, as a matter of fact. It was on the day he officially moved into the apartment complex in DC. She had knocked on his door while he was in the middle of unboxing a few of the things he had with him. When he opened the door and saw her standing there, he swore he remembered feeling like his world suddenly came to a halt and his heart stopped beating. She was beautiful - tall, lean, and adorable looking. She had wavy golden locks so perfect he could imagine himself running his hands down on them and round brown eyes that were pretty enough for him to stare at them forever.___ _ _ _ _ _

________He had been holed up in his own little fantasy world for far too long that she had to break the ice, sending him crashing back to earth. She gave him her mother’s special chicken salad as a welcome gift. They exchanged pleasantries and promises of seeing each other around, and for the next two years, the pleasantries and promises led to even more adorably awkward conversations and stolen glances mostly taking place in the hallways of the apartment complex._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________For a while, everything felt satisfying - he had a stable job, was living comfortably, and met awesome people and became friends with them. Little by little, he found himself no longer wanting to relive the past. “The world has changed, and none of us can go back,” an elderly Peggy told him when he paid her a visit. She’s always been a wise woman, wiser than most of them, and he has always taken her pieces of advice to heart. “All we can do is to do our best, and sometimes, the best that we can do is to start over.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Which was how he finally found the courage to ask the pretty girl next door he’s been harboring a crush on for the longest time. He offered her free use of his washing machine in exchange for a cup of coffee. She gently turned him down because her scrubs were filled with germs after a shift from the infectious disease ward, though she did seem regretful. Fortunately, she left the door open for more opportunities for him to ask her out again down the line._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________That proved to be short-lived. Because the moment he stepped into his apartment, a bruised and bloodied Nick Fury was waiting for him, handing him the flash drive Nat retrieved from the Lemurian Star, and was gunned down by the Winter Soldier. Pretty girl next door then barged into his apartment without so much as knocking, revealing herself to be his protective detail assigned by Fury, unbeknownst to him. He took the truth hard, so hard that he scowled at her when their paths crossed again the day after Fury was gunned down, and it had been the last time they ever saw each other._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Until Peggy’s funeral, where he found out that pretty girl next door was actually related to his ultimate What Might Have Been._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You mean Sharon Carter?” She probably meant so much to her than he realized if he had never forgotten everything about her, including her real full name, after all these years._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Natasha arched one brow. “You remembered her name. I didn’t even need to ask you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“She’s Peggy’s niece,” he told her firmly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And why are you making it seem like dating her would be a bad thing?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You do know that getting involved with her in some capacity is weird right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No. You’re the only one who thinks that way.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The entire conversation became all too vague and confusing that Bucky had to step in. “Wait hold up, can any of you tell me more about this Sharon Carter chick? She seems like a cool gal.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Former SHIELD agent who was assigned to be Steve’s protective detail, joined the CIA after SHIELD’s demise.” Natasha explained. “She was the blonde chick who I tag-teamed with in taking you down when that fake interrogator activated the Winter Soldier programming in your brain back in Germany.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The memory came back to him like a light bulb. “Ah right. I remember her. She had long and powerful legs. Beautiful legs.” He then turned to Steve. “Hey can you imagine those long and powerful legs wrapped around your waist?” he added in a teasing tone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Steve sighed deeply and covered his eyes with one hand. He was about to say something when Bucky interrupted him once again, seemingly having another light bulb moment. “Wait a minute… what… ooooohhhhhhh! Wasn’t she the same chick you kissed under the bridge in Leipzig after she got our gear back and gave it to us?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Now Steve was covering his entire face with both his hands in an attempt to cover the big, beet red blush that was becoming very, very evident. It was bad enough that Bucky had said it out loud, but Natasha finding out about the deep secret that he had been dead set on keeping from her all these years to avoid extreme teasing on her part has made things worse._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well ain’t this an interesting turn of events. You never told me you ended up smooching her. Tell the truth, Rogers. Answer James’ question,” she demanded, and there was a hint of amusement in her voice. She was clearly enjoying Steve’s predicament._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He dropped his hands from his face. He looked at her, then turned to face Bucky. It was out now. Lying his way out of this situation was now beside the point. “Yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And yet you said seconds ago that being with her would be gross. Hypocrite.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Okay, look!” Steve said out loud and was now on the defensive. “I just… I just don’t want to make her feel like I’m only dating her _because _she’s Peggy’s niece!” He had to stop for a while to calm himself down, then continued. “And… and… I don’t think I’m brave enough to tread into that particular territory.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Bucky raised his eyebrow at that. And it was, ironically, the same eyebrow action Natasha did seconds before. “That’s rich coming from someone who threw himself into a grenade that turned out to be fake without so much as batting an eyelash.” That incident had been silly looking back, but Bucky was seething at him when he first found out about it. He knew Steve would still end up doing stupid things (because that’s who he is and always has been _duh _) after he told him not to while he had gone off to war, but he never expected that Steve would level up his acts of stupidity to the highest degree.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________But to hear Steve admit that he was too cowardly to ask this one girl he _clearly _had feelings for out on a date just took the cake.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________At that moment, Bucky had had enough. It was time for Steve to wake up and seize the day. Luckily this time around he has Natasha to help him out. “Look, I get it. I understand where you’re coming from, but you can’t just sit around and do nothing for yourself and be a hermit forever. And if we try to look at it from a technical standpoint, it’s not illegal. Odd yes, but not illegal.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Steve gave his words some thought, but was still feeling a little bit skeptical and dropped his head down. “I don’t know, man…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Bucky had started to become annoyed. He knew he had to get through him but was running out of ideas. Until he said, “Okay fine. If you’re not comfortable with it, then we can always go on double dates.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Steve’s head immediately jerked upright, froze and widened his eyes when he heard those last two words._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Double dates._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Double. Dates. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Two _rage-inducing _words he hasn’t heard of (and experienced) for decades. It was one of many things he didn’t miss during his life in the 40s (besides bad coffee and cold baths) and it was an experience that he absolutely, certainly, and without a doubt does not want to put himself through over and over again. Even if he was gifted another Harley Davidson bike. Even if world governments would finally grant universal vaccination. Even if General Ross would come at his doorstep and apologize to him profusely for putting him through hell.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Bucky searched his face, wondering why he had gone stiff out of nowhere. Then realized that he had just found what he needed in order to get through him. The look he gave Steve was almost feral, like the face of a cat that had gotten away with devouring a canary. He slowly wrapped his non-metal arm around Natasha. “Me and Nat, we can set you up with a girl, and see if you’d be interested in taking her to second base. And if not, then we’ll move on to the next. Whadda ya say, punk? Just like old times?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Steve had already felt normal then. Normal enough to roll his eyes before taking a swing at a glass of beer. “Just like old times. Pfft. Yeah, right.” His experience with women had always been unpleasant. When he was still a sickly frail man, girls wouldn’t even dare give him their time of day. And when they do, he’d get either looks of sympathy and disinterest, especially during the double dates Bucky would often put him through. By the time he had started to look like a Greek statue, however, women were suddenly fawning over him and slipping room keys._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The only few times he’d ever felt normal around women were the times when he was hanging out with the likes of Peggy, Natasha, Wanda, and even Sharon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Especially Sharon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Back when she was still Kate the nurse who lived across the hall, he remembered her being mostly cool as a cucumber, attending to his every need whenever he wanted to ask for her help on something. Those types of moments were perfect excuses to knock on her door every once in a while. So what if he came across as too needy and stalkerish? She was a very, very pretty girl - _is _a very, very pretty girl, he corrected himself, and a pretty girl like her talking to an awkwardly social man like him only happens once in a moon. More importantly, she was the only normal woman who made him feel comfortable enough to talk to her without fumbling and stammering like an idiot. He wanted to spend more time with her and would refuse to take every opportunity for granted.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The hurt and betrayal he felt when he found out she was spying on him for Fury ran deep. Those nearly ran deeper when he saw her once again, this time at Peggy’s funeral when he found out that they had a connection because it just added to the long list of lies she had kept from him. But Mrs. Rogers raised her son better than that. Steve Rogers had always had a forgiving heart and eventually understood why she did what she had to do - all in the name of duty. It was her job to protect him. And to make him feel like he wasn't alone in the world._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________They finally got the chance to sit down and talk. He found out that she had joined the CIA and was stationed in Berlin. She admitted that it took a while to find her footing and had seemingly not moved on from the fall of SHIELD. It didn’t help that the sexism remained rampant. But like her Aunt Peggy, as she fondly calls her, she took everything in stride and ended up earning a lot of respect from the people she worked for and worked alongside with._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Of course, all her hard work immediately went down the drain the moment she decided to help Captain America and the Falcon save Bucky from getting killed and commit insubordination for retrieving their confiscated gear, essentially committing career suicide. He owed her so much, and he only repaid her with a kiss goodbye below that bridge, Sam and Bucky witnessing the entire thing and took joy in teasing Steve on the way to meet the others at the airport. He still beats himself up to this day because he knew deep down that she deserved more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Having said all that, does he still even deserve her? After the way he treated her and all the things he put her through?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Apparently to both Bucky and Natasha, the questions are no longer moot. They were now fixated on their quest to make sure he gets a girl (and gets laid) by all means necessary._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“C’mon, Steve. Try to give it a shot with Sharon. It’s not like you have so much to lose.” There was a sense of foreboding on his part and Natasha could tell from a mile away, so her reassuring sisterly side then took over. “If it makes you feel any better, she kinda was into you, too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Steve looked at her for a moment, then tilted his head, wondering if what she said was true or another lie. “How would you know?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________She took a sip of her Kvas before continuing on. “She might have let it slip in one of the secret drinking sessions that we’ve had.” She said it in a tone that was supposed to come off as devious. But rather, it came across as fond. He didn’t know if it was for him or Sharon. Or both. It didn’t even cross his mind that these two were actually friends. No wonder she kept wanting them to hook up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________She set aside her drink, sat upright, positioned both her elbows on the edge of the table and clasped her hands together. Bucky followed suit. She looked poised and ready to give him an ultimatum. “So what’s it gonna be? Sharon or double dates with James and I? Pick your poison wisely. The ball’s in your court.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________He really wishes that Sharon's name should’ve never been brought up in this conversation to begin with. But that’s what happens when ghosts of the past come back to haunt at a moment’s notice. As much as he wants to stay away, part of him also wants to try and make amends for what he’d done to her. Maybe if they get a chance to talk again, they’ll finally get the closure that they needed. Or they might have a chance to reset and start over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Suddenly that thought became inviting. Plus, he really didn’t want to go on double dates again, especially since these double dates will now have Natasha in tow. He didn’t know the extent of what these Russian assassins were capable of. Nor he ever wanted to know._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The decision had been easy right there and then. As if he actually had any say on the matter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________He let out a big sigh before speaking. “Alright. I’ll give it a try.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Four preview: Steve goes on a date and it's nearly ruined because his friends couldn't help but meddle.


End file.
